{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Book Club: Universality and Sparks of Bright Matter \u2022 Episode #179","description":"Book Club: Universality by Natasha Brown &amp;amp; Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O'Donnell Welcome to The Book Club Review! In this episode, Laura joins Kate to dive into two book club picks: Natasha Brown\u2019s much-anticipated second novel,&amp;nbsp;Universality, and the debut Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O\u2019Donnell. In this episode: Kate and Laura catch up on their current reads, including Sky Daddy by Kate Folk and A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett, before diving into a discussion of&amp;nbsp;Universality. How did it compare&amp;nbsp;to Brown\u2019s acclaimed debut Assembly, and did the satirical style, bold narrative choices, and themes of media, class, and culture wars work for our book club. We then move on to Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O'Donnell, an historical tale of alchemy set across 18th-century London and Ireland. We're exploring the vivid sense of place and real-life inspirations behind the story, but did the many different characters and story arcs knit together? We're also meeting Kristina Ambrosia, who offers a creative twist on book club with her \u201cGraffiti Book Club,\u201d where members are encouraged to write, doodle, and annotate in their books before passing them around. All that plus our current reads and community updates on how to join the Book Club Review Patreon, participate in chat groups, and readalongs. Books mentioned:  Universality by Natasha Brown Assembly by Natasha Brown Sparks of Bright Matter by Leeanne O\u2019Donnell Sky Daddy by Kate Folk A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett Katabasis by R. F. Kuang Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal The Women by Kristin Hannah Monsters: A Fan\u2019s Dilemma by Claire Dederer Just Kids by Patti Smith All Fours by Miranda July Theory and Practice by Michelle de Kretser And more!  Links &amp;amp; Extras:  Special offer for Serious Readers HD Essential Reading Lights: visit seriousreaderscom\/bcr and use code BCR at checkout. Join the Book Club Review community on Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and monthly book club meetings: patreon.com\/thebookclubreview Follow on Instagram @bookclubreviewpodcast or email thebookclubreview@gmail.com  If you enjoyed the show, please share it with friends or leave a review \u2013 your support helps us reach more book lovers! Happy reading! ","author_name":"The Book Club Review","author_url":"https:\/\/www.thebookclubreview.co.uk","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/38549055\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/194103685"}